Fluidic memory apparatus



April 7, 1970 RMA'RTMAN j i3,504,693

FLUIDIC lMEMORY APPARATUS Filed April 7, 19e? 2 sheets-sheet 1v INVENTOR i ROBERT B.HARTMAN BY WM ATTORNEY A April 7, 1970 R. B. HARTMAN `FLUIDI C MMORY APPARATUS 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed April 7, 1967 INVENTOR ROBERT B. HARTMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent O n 3,504,693 FLUIDIC MEMORY APPARATUS Robert B. Hartman, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 629,254 Int. Cl. G06m 1/12; F15c 3/06, 1/08 U.S. Cl. 137-119 9 'Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus including a passive binary counter and/or memory arrangement wherein a single pulseV of air will cause movement of a means such as a ball, disc, or globule of liquid, from one bistable position to another in a passage, there being a vent between said bistable positions.

This invention relates to fluidic memory devices and particularly to a bistable arrangement that is operable by a short input pulse and will remember its most recent condition.

In the prior art, it has Ibeen found necessary to use continuous pressure and/or flow to operate and retain a movable member and such is undesirable. Also, prior fluid or ball-type movable elements have required pressure and/ or iiow from one side only to move the movable element to the other bistable position of a memory device.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a passive binary counter incorporating a physical memory arrangement which will operate in a simplified manner and can be economically produced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a passive bistable memory device from which a signal can be derived during the transition between bistable positions, and/or can be derived after transition without any risk of disturbing existing condition. A mechanical signal also can be derived without disturbing the existing lcondition.

In one aspect of the invention, the bistable device has a passage means therein wherein a movable element can travel between spaced :bistable positions in the passage. The movable element may be slidable, rollable or flowable therein, and may be a solid material, liquid material, or similar substance. There is a venting means in the passage between the bistable positions. A single pulse may be applied simultaneously to both side inputs, the pulse amplitude and length being related to the inertia of the movable member and the bistable retaining means so that the pulse will be sufficient to cause the movable member to move past the center of the bistable positions. The pulse then is shut off or stopped and the inertia of the movable member will carry it the rest of the way. Gravity also could be used to carry the movable member the rest of the way, or other means, such as a magnetic field, could be employed. 'The portion of the pulse entering the side to which the movable element is moving is dissipated by the vent. An appropriate restriction at both inputs can be used to assure a positive division of the pulse to both sides.

The movable member may be a visible material so that it Will give a visible indication of its position when the cover plate is transparent and thus can be used as a visible indicator, as in a binary counter stage.

The single pulse may be applied to both inputs. A single input conduit means can be divided by restrictions so that both sides of the passage receive the pulse when it is applied. The signal output conduit at the side of the passage in which the movable member is when the pulse is received can provide an output signal simultaneously with providing the force to move the movable member.

3,504,693 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 ICC The pulse at the other side will enter the passage and will exhaust through the vent, but the input pulse should be terminated before the movable member has passed beyond the vent.

The foregoing and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is an elevational view partly broken away of one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a solid movable element;

FIG. 5 is an elevational View partly broken away of I another form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional View of another form of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of another form; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along the line 9 9 of FIG. 8.

Referring to FIGS. l and 2, block 10 may be molded from a suitable plastic with the various passages formed therein. The passages also could be cut into the block. Cover plate 11 is mounted on the face of the block 10 by adhesive or other suitable means.

Passage 12 extends between input passages 13, 14 which are partial restrictions, on each side of the bistable positions A, B of the movable means 1S. Movable means 15 may be a disc as illustrated or may be a ball or liquid globule. It should be related to passage 12 and the input pulse of air so that its inertia will carry it past the bistable center and the vent 16 after the pulse is iinished or cut off.

When liquid is used, such as mercury, the pressure of the applied signal and relative sizes of the input, output and vent orifices in the channel must be properly related to the surface tension of the liquid. These must be such that the liquid will not be extruded from any port in the system.

Signal input conduit 17 is connected by passage 18, 19 to input passage restrictions and the flow directors 13, 14, respectively, for binary counter operation. Signal output passages 20, 21 are located relative to passages 13, 14 so that with the movable member 15 in the initial position indicated in FIG. l, the pulse of air in signal input conduit 14 will be reflected or caused by back pressure to enter passage 21 as the movable element starts "to move. The simultaneous pulse in input conduit 13 will not enter passage 20 with the movable member in the same FIG. 1 position but will exhaust through vent 1-6, since the movable element is not present to create a back pressure at the signal output passage 20, and in the absence of back pressure or reflection, the pulse will not reverse its direction to reach passage 20.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. l to 3, passage 12 is slightly arcuate in form to use gravity as the memory retaining force. The passage could be straight, using other retaining means for the movable member such as friction or magnetism, such depending upon the friction or weight of the movable members or magnetic inuence to retain the movable element in its bistable position.

In operation, a pulse of Huid, such as air, into conduit 17 will move through input passage 14 to apply pressure to movable means 15 due to back pressure created by restriction 13 and cause the movable member to move from the bistable position at A to the other bistable position at B. Also, air coming in through input passage 13 will simply pass through the vent 16. It is the restriction of 13 and 14 which assures ow through both passages. It is necessary that the pulse be sufliciently short so that after the movable means 15 reaches the bistable center which may be the vent, it will not be stopped by the pulse portion from the opposite input and will continue to the other bistable position at B. The channel covering plates can be transparent or can be transparent at the bistable points so that a visual indication is provided by the movable element. As the element starts to move and until it reaches the vent, a pressure will be developed in output 21, but not at 20. With the proper arrangement of input and output channels it is possible to generate at 20 a vacuum or negative going pressure pulse by Venturi action by a proper relation between input 13 and output 20.

Another vform of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. and 6 wherein passage 25 is circular to use gravity as the bistable retention means,vwhen operated in a position approaching vertical. Movable means 26 is translatable from one bistable position C to the other bistable position D by means of a pulse of air applied to input conduit 27 which connects to two restrictive channels for binary counter operation. Vent 28 is provided for the passage 25 as in FIG. 1. Appropriate output signals are available at output signal conduits 29, 30, such being similar in operation to that described for FIG. 1.

A still further form is illustrated in FIG. 7 wherein the movable member is liquid. The movable liquid member 33 is located in bistable position E and is held there by gravity (FIG. 7) in passage 34, assuming the device to be near a vertical position. Vent 35 is connected adjacent the center of passage 34. Upon application of a pulse of air to input conduit 36, the liquid member will be driven around passage 34 to the other bistable position at F by the same principle as described for FIG. 1. Signal output passages 37, 38 function in a manner similar to the forms shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, inclusive.

In FIG. 8, input 40 is connected to input conduits 41, 4Z leading to passage 43. Movable element 44 is shown at its left position. Vent 49 is located between the ends of passagev 43. Signal output passages 45, 46 are connected to passage 43 as described for previous embodiments. Additionally, there may be a second signal output set of passages 47, 48 with axes at an angle (FIGURE 9) relative to passage 43 and out of the plane of the channel. Then a signal, fluidic, for example, applied at 47 would be picked up on the opposite side without movement of the movable member. If a mechanical feeler 47A is used, stoppage thereof by the movable member could be employed to actuate a suitable signal producing means.

Although the foregoing description has been written in terms of shifting the movable member from one exemplary position to the other, it should be obvious that the movable elements are bistable and that successive input pulses to the common input have the result of shifting the movable member from whichever of the bistable one of the positions it then occupies to the other of those bistable positions.

It should be apparent that details of construction can be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: y

1. In a passive iluidic bistable device, the combination including passage means, movable means translatable between spaced bistable positions in said passage means, vent means connected to said passage means between said bistable positions, input conduit means on opposite sides of said movable means when in either of its bistable positions, and means to apply a pulse of air to at least one side of said movable means, said pulse moving the same to the other bistable position thereof.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the movable means is solid material.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the movable means is a fluid.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein both input conduit means are connected to a single input conduit so as to apply the pulse to both sides of the passage means.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein there is a signal conduit adjacent at least one of the input conduits at the bistable positions of the movable means.

6. 'Ihe device of claim 5 wherein the signal conduits are arranged with respect to the input conduits so that air entering the input is in a direction away from the signal output to prevent a pressure signal except by back pressure reflected from the movable element.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the passage means is curved so that the movable means will remain at its moved bistable position by gravity.

8. The device of claimA 1 wherein a single input conduit furnishes a single input pulse to both input conduit means and the movable means is so related to the pulse and passage` that it remains at its moved position after the application of the input pulse.

9. The devicel of claim 2 wherein signal receiving means are located at the bistable positions but in a plane at an angle to the motion of the movable means, so as to provide for signal output without changing the bistable position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1964 Riordan l37-ll8 X 4/1967 Samet 137-118 X 4 Us. c1. XR. 137-815; 23S-201 

